Bob Libal

Great Texas Observer coverage here

Today, the NY Times ran an important piece on the rise in criminalization of kids in TX schools. The piece builds on a groundbreaking @texasobserver.org cover story this summer. I'd strongly recommend you read @josephinelee.bsky.social's great reporting: www.texasobserver.org/texas-school...

“I think we could possibly lose some statewide races as Republicans. We’re on the wrong side of this data center issue.” A recent poll claims 60% of rural Texans oppose data centers in their communities. This Democratic candidate hopes to win votes by appealing to an increasingly bipartisan cause.

As the midterms near, there is good news about expanding voting rights to persons with felony convictions. Virginians have a chance next month to undo the Jim Crow-era voting ban. Latest via @npr.org 1/ www.npr.org/2026/10/05/n...

GOP ads right now are all about attacking trans people. Over, and over, and over. I was a gay teen in 2004 watching the Bush campaign try to win on attacking gay marriage, but the resort to this hate drive in campaign ads feels so dialed up now. I can’t imagine being an lgbt kid watching tv today.

What ICE is doing now, I hope people will try to hold onto in their minds for more than one election cycle. Both the Trump voters who did not, in reality, want "mass deportations" & the elite centrists who spent 3 years glibly saying Dems must cede ground to Trump on immigration

This happened a few miles from my house in North Austin. A very similar violent and terrifying arrest happened to a friend on Friday in Austin. I attended this afternoon’s protest our community is rightly beyond angry. This violent thuggery must stop now and its victims set free

Ted Cruz gave up after the third quarter. Glad the Longhorns didn’t catch that flight to Cancun

What did we bring Muschamp back for if it wasn’t to defend against this ghoul’s scourge?

Ted Cruz must be at this game…

media refuses to meet the gravity these crimes against humanity demand

It’s hard to overstate how unpopular Ted Cruz is in Austin…

Just further enshrining the canonical conservative belief that being called racist is worse than being racist.

From @candicequestions.com: Jon Rosenthal's opponent Bo French is a fascist proponent of the so-called "Great Replacement Theory." We asked Rosenthal about his pro-regulatory approach, French’s far-right rhetoric and deregulatory agenda, and the importance of local control.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump installs gold-plated toilets in his ballroom

My kid’s school closed but at least ICE has nearly half of billion dollars of unused planes sitting around

Over 200,000 children, including 145,000 US citizens, have likely had a parent detained since January, per Brookings. Therapists describe kids too anxious to leave home. Careful reporting from KFF Health News: www.cbsnews.com/news/arrests...

A report published in March by the Rio Grande International Study Center found the buoys could hasten flooding in the international river, threaten livestock, people and bridge infrastructure. https://www.kxan.com/border-report/15-miles-of-buoy-barriers-installed-in-rio-grande-in-deep-south-texas/ 

When "Californians taking over Austin" is an actual existential threat... They aren't sending their best (billionaires)

I am not involved in reporting or editing anything to do with this story for KUT, nor will I be, so I feel free to say out loud: firing Debbie is 100% bullshit. She's a fantastic leader and KUT is worse for her absence.

I guess Greg Abbott gets to pick KUT’s leadership now? Wild state of affairs if this is allowed to stand… www.kut.org/education/20...

Put the World Cup on in the morning you cowards

The Statesman is too busy with local austerity sensationalism to investigate the link between these headlines. But idk maybe we should tax the *trillionaire Austin resident* who spends his days inciting racist riots abroad so my kids school can have a fucking librarian next year….

Between this and Wemby refusing to be burdened by hiding his emotions, it somehow feels like a decent time to be raising a boy in Texas with role models

Let’s goooooo

We only got Felix’s pre-K year at this amazing bilingual neighborhood school and it was the best. Our crossing guard — Ms. Sandy — came to the going away party with a friend. They both went to Ridgetop in the 60s. Somos Mejores Juntos. Ridgetop Forever!

“When we organize, we win. When we fight, we win.” — my friend and next State Rep. Montserrat Garibay

The ambiguity of these alerts is really not helpful. There has been a series of, apparently, random shootings this weekend in South Austin and police are looking for a suspect.

What you can do: 1. Keep Luis's story visible. Like, comment, save, and share posts about Luis Fernando on social media. 2. Donate and share Luis's GoFundMe. While Luis fights for his freedom, his family needs help to cover lost wages for household expenses and pay for his legal bills.

The party of local control has decided that "local" means wherever they have control www.texastribune.org/2026/05/08/a...

i'd be interested to know how a billionaire's lifestyle would be impacted if they had like 170billion after taxes instead of 200.

Okay. Some things will change by tomorrow morning, but I can already draw some conclusions: 1) This was another BAD night for book banners in Tx school board elections. Katy, Lake Travis, Grapevine-Colleyville, & North East ISD are all shedding book banners from their boards.

RESULT out of Texas. The Lake Travis school district in the Austin area become a focal point for book bans (see this story from 2024: www.kut.org/education/20...) Two conservatives school board members who were integral to that push just lost their reelection bids tonight, and are ousted.

Meenu Batra has been released from ICE detention: www.texasobserver.org/immigration-...

Perhaps he's just a racist and it's a simple as that?

TOMORROW: @silkys13.bsky.social joins our weekly chat to discuss @detentionwatchnetwork.org’s national day of action on Saturday. Plus, @leahgreenberg.bsky.social and @ezralevin.bsky.social answer your top-ranked questions. RSVP to be part of people-powered politics in real time.